Today's topic is about the phases of the moon. If you were paying attention in science class, you probably spent a little while learning this. If not, here's a nice crash course on how the Moon orbits the Earth. For most of us, all it means is that the moon looks different on a day to day basis, but looks about the same month to month.
In addition to looking different throughout the month, the moon's phases drive a few more phenomena. The most readily observable phenomenon is that the moon rises and sets at different times throughout the month. For example, the new moon rises with the sun, but the full moon rises as the sun is setting.
The moon also drives the tides. Low tide occurs when the moon is near the horizon. High tide occurs when the moon is high in the sky or when the moon is on the other side of the earth. This is also affected by the phase of the moon. When the moon is full or new, we experience spring tide, which has higher high tides and lower low tides than normal. When the moon is first or third quarter, we experience neap tides, which has lower high tides and higher low tides.
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